The report found that Dolwen is a friendly and welcoming service, and that care staff know people well and are attentive to their needs.

The report praised management practices at the home, saying that the management of the service carefully monitor how the service is performing, and their systems help to identify and act upon any issues they find. The responsible individual (RI) visits the service regularly to ensure good quality care and support is being delivered.

The report also stated that staff follow clear and detailed plans, ensuring health and support needs are met and that care staff are clear about people’s personal outcomes and support them to achieve these.

Speaking of the living arrangements, the report said that residents were proud to show their rooms, and saw they had brought some of their own possessions and photos from home to make it their own. It stated that residents live in a home which has plenty of places to sit and relax, enjoy activities, or meet with visitors and that the kitchen in the day centre has adjustable worktops, and is accessible for wheelchair users.

Pamela Pack, Residential Home Manager at Dolwen said:

“We are delighted to have received such a positive report, and that it reflects and acknowledges the effort that both the staff and residents have made to make this care facility the place that it is.

I am very proud of the environment we have created here at Dolwen, and would like to thank all of the hard working staff who show up every day to make this care home a real home for our residents.”

Councillor Elen Heaton, Lead Member for Health and Social Care said:

“I am very pleased to see that one of our care homes has received this glowing report from the Care Inspectorate Wales.

I’d like to give a mention to the staff who work tirelessly at this facility to ensure that top quality and professional care is given around the clock to the residents who live at Dolwen. A very well done to all involved.”

Last year, the Council spent £39 million on providing packages of care and support to some of the most vulnerable adults in the county, this amounts to roughly 15% of the Council’s overall budget.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council said:

“I know that Councillor King is committed to providing quality education and creating an environment that nurtures the growth and potential of every child and will be excellent in the role. She is a dedicated and experienced public policy professional with a strong background in education, child protection, and governance. I am looking forward to working with her.”

Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families said:

“I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to Denbighshire County Council's mission of providing excellent education and support for children and families in the community.

I am confident that my experience in working in the education sector, my skills in strategic planning, communication, and problem-solving will enable me to effectively address the challenges and drive positive change in the education sector.”

Councillor Julie Matthews, who currently sits as Lead Member for Corporate Strategy, Policy and Equalities will now also take up the role as Deputy Leader of the Council. Councillor Matthews was elected to the Council in 2022 and represents the Meliden Ward and also sits on the Planning Committee. Councillor Matthews is also the Armed Forces Champion for the Council.

Councillor Jason McLellan said:

“I am also happy to announce that Councillor Julie Matthews has accepted the role of Deputy Leader. Councillor Matthews will make an excellent deputy and I look forward to working with her going forward.”

The Council has had to deliver £10.4m of savings as part of the 2024/25 budget, and the proposal to review the public convenience provision in the County is one of the savings proposals identified.

Whilst there is no legal requirement for the Council itself to provide public conveniences, The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 requires the local authority to evidence that it has reviewed the needs of the local population and to produce a strategy that shows how it will try to meet these needs.

As a result, the Council is currently carrying out a needs assessment for the public conveniences in the County. This will identify the number of public conveniences needed in Denbighshire and will help the Council to develop a suitable Public Toilet Strategy.

To develop this Strategy, a public consultation is being undertaken and residents, business owners and visitors are encouraged to take part and have their say.

Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said:

“We understand that public conveniences are highly valued assets by certain parts of the community. However, the fact remains that the provision of public conveniences is not a statutory duty, and we do not now have a big enough budget to enable us to keep delivering services in the same way that we have always delivered them in the past.

“In areas where the provision of public conveniences is considered essential, we hope to work with City, Town and Community Councils to look at alternative arrangements.

“No decision has been made about closing any public conveniences at this stage, and any decisions on this will be made by our Cabinet, following a further report to our Communities Scrutiny Committee."

To take part in the consultation, go to our County Conversation consultation page.

The sessions will be held on the 30th of September and 1st of October and will be open to the public between 1pm and 7pm, allowing for a flexible timeslot for both parents and children to attend.

These sessions are an opportunity for the team to present a proposed design that could be used for the new Drift Park Play Area.

The team will be asking local residents and businesses who attend for their views and suggestions on this design, which will then help inform the final design going forward.

If residents are unable to attend either session, there will be an online form which can be found and filled in on the Central Rhyl Coastal Defence Scheme’s webpage.

Once the academic year is back in session, further engagement with local schools will be done regarding the design of the park.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said:

“We are pleased that the Central Rhyl Coastal Defence Scheme has now reached the phase where we are looking at the re-installation of the Drift Park, which sits on Rhyl’s promenade.

These sessions with residents and businesses will allow the team to take in feedback and ideas from the local community.

We understand that the essential works on the Central Rhyl Coastal Defence Scheme has had an impact on the availability of play spaces on the promenade, however, these works are vital to ensure that Rhyl’s coastal stretch is fully protected from flooding events. The reinstallation of the park was always the plan, and I am glad to see that this is now on the horizon.

I am looking forward to hearing the public’s views and opinions on the design of the park, which will be informed by the local people who will use it for years to come.”